BBC Sports Personality 2012 shortlist: Bradley Wiggins heralds best year of his life after topping nominations

Bradley Wiggins described 2012 as “the time of my life” as the Tour de France
champion last night led a shortlist dominated by Britain’s Olympic gold
medallists for the fiercely-contested BBC Sports Personality of the Year
award.

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In the lead: Bradley Wiggins is favourite win this year's BBC Sports Personality of the YearPhoto: AP

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High benchmark: The competition for this year's award is more fierce than ever before Photo: GETTY IMAGES

By Oliver Brown and Brendan Gallagher

11:59PM GMT 26 Nov 2012

After the unprecedented success of the London Olympic and Paralympic Games, which brought a combined 63 British golds, 11 of the 12 chosen are champions from the country’s golden summer of sport.

With a shortlist that also includes Andy Murray, Mo Farah and Ben Ainslie, competition for the BBC prize, announced at London’s Excel Centre on Dec 16, has never been so intense.

Wiggins, who in July became Britain’s first ever winner of the Tour de France just three weeks before his Olympic time trial triumph, is the bookmakers’ odds-on favourite, with Farah, having captivated the country with his distance double in London over 5,000 and 10,000 metres, second and Murray third.

Wiggins admits in the latest edition of the Radio Times: “I don’t think I’ll ever top it. I’m 32 and I went from winning the Tour de France on the Champs-Élysées to champagne at the Ritz, then winning the Olympics time trial. It’s probably the best time of my life. The Tour de France didn’t sink in, and it still hasn’t, really.”

The 32 year-old also indicates that he might not seek to defend his Tour title, explaining that his priorities for next year lie elsewhere.

“I’d love to win the Giro d’Italia. For me, it’s as big as the Tour de France. And I’d love to try to win the Paris-Roubaix, and then maybe go back to the Tour one day and try to win that again.”

Naturally after an unforgettable 2012 for British sport, there are conspicuous omissions in the BBC selections – not least Ian Poulter, the talisman of Europe’s victorious Ryder Cup team.

Laura Trott and Charlotte Dujardin, two of just four women ever to have won double gold for Britain at the same Games, could consider themselves unfortunate not to have made the shortlist, which was drawn up by an expert panel which included national newspaper sports editors and three former award nominees, Sir Steve Redgrave, Baroness Grey-Thompson and Denise Lewis.

A measure of the strength of this year’s award is that all former double Olympic champions either won or finished inside the top three. Triathlete Alistair Brownlee, as well as cycling sprint star Jason Kenny and Paralympic poster-boy Jonnie Peacock, were among the other notable absentees.

Barbara Slater, director of BBC Sport, explained: “We had already extended the shortlist for the main award this year from 10 to 12, but at times we all wished it was nearer 15 or 20.

"The panel reflected long and hard on the heroics of stars from other sports such as Ian Poulter during the ‘miracle of Medinah’, the continued brilliance of Carl Froch and the ‘magnificent seven’ from champion jockey Richard Hughes.

“In any other year these sportspeople would probably be front-runners to win the overall award. If we ever needed reminding how special a sporting year it has been, the list of those sportspeople who did not make the final 12 is testament to that.”

The list was distinguished by its inclusion of three Paralympic champions in Sarah Storey, Ellie Simmonds and David Weir.

Storey, who took four cycling golds in London, told Telegraph Sport: “The support and recognition all the Paralympians received at London 2012 was extraordinary and it felt a very special Games in that respect.

"My hope in years to come is that even in non-Olympic years, perhaps one or two Paralympians might still appear in the shortlist.”

Grainger, who claimed Olympic rowing gold after three successive silvers, described her nomination as a “great honour for my sport”.

Golfer Rory McIlroy, who won his second major this year and finished top of both the US and European money lists, is the only non-Olympian shortlisted.

He said: “With it being an Olympic year, and with so many outstanding achievements in British sport in 2012, the voting is sure to go right down to the wire.”

Sir Chris Hoy, the winner in 2008, is attempting to become only the fourth person to take the award twice after boxer Sir Henry Cooper and Formula One drivers Nigel Mansell and Damon Hill.

Athlete: Jessica Ennis, athleticsOdds: 11/1Highlight of 2012: Lit up London with her smile as well as her performances. Followed hurdles personal best with superb performances in long jump, javelin and 800m to take heptathlon gold. Gallery:Ennis's heptahlon journey.

Athlete: David Weir, athleticsOdds: 33/1Highlight from 2012: Whatever the distance, Weir dominated at London 2012. A fourth gold in Men's T54 marathon, after days of exertion on the track, was a stunning achievement.